Chapter 76

Chapter 76

The sheer number of these snakes was overwhelming, their tongues flicking as they climbed, their small eyes gleaming coldly in the gaslight.

Feng Chen continuously transformed his psychic energy into sharp needles, while the Black Lion leaped down from the cave, pouncing on protruding rocks to slash the snakes open or hurl them off the cliff.

Extensive use of psychic powers by a sentinel replenishes their mental realm continuously. This rapid replenishment can lead to negative reactions like headaches and fatigue, and a high risk of entering a trance-like state.

Feng Chen, feeling a headache and a sense of pressure in his chest, sensed an external psychic force trying to penetrate his mental realm.

He instinctively resisted but then heard Wang Ping urgently say beside him, “It's me, lower your barrier, let me in to organize your mental realm.”

Feng Chen tried to open his mental realm but struggled to do so. Although he consciously tried not to resist, his mental realm remained tightly closed.

“Hurry up and lower the barrier, or you won’t be able to handle the strain of using so much psychic power,” Wang Ping urged continuously.

Feng Chen forced himself to relax, not focusing on the discomfort of the foreign psychic force entering his realm, and managed to open a small gap in the barrier.

Wang Ping’s psychic energy entered, and he sighed in relief, “Most sentinels can’t wait to welcome a guide’s psychic energy. I’ve never seen anyone like you.”

With Wang Ping’s assistance, Feng Chen’s headache and chest tightness vanished. He and the soldiers divided tasks, with the soldiers shooting the monkeys while he dealt with the snakes. This coordination, coupled with the terrain advantage, held off the mutant assault.

However, the situation at the other three entrances was dire.

Most of the mutants were concentrated there, especially at the east entrance where Yu Yuan was stationed. Facing the main road, it was the hardest to defend and had the most mutants.

Mutants broke through the gunfire and psychic attacks, finding gaps to leap into the cave and wildly attack the crowd. Even if they were quickly killed, they managed to fatally wound dozens of people.

Wu You, always calculating risks and benefits, held Yan Bubu in the center of the crowd, maintaining equal distance from each entrance. If the situation at the east entrance worsened, he would move slightly towards the west, and if the gunfire at the north intensified, he would squeeze towards the south.

Despite the temperature dropping to just a few degrees, no one felt cold; everyone was sweating profusely from tension.

Wu You looked down at Yan Bubu and felt his forehead, finding that despite taking fever medicine, his temperature was still high.

Worried that the fever might harm Yan Bubu, but with no other options at hand, Wu You removed Yan Bubu's thick cotton jacket, rolled up his T-shirt sleeves, and unbuttoned the top two buttons on his right shoulder to let the heat escape from his neck.

“Aaaaahhh…”

Suddenly, screams erupted from the crowd, which surged towards the west.

A mutant creature lunged into the east entrance, its eyes blood-red and wolf-like in shape but covered in black, hard scales. It pinned a person to the ground, snapping their neck with a crunch. Blood dripped from its fangs as it turned to attack another person.

Feng Chen and several soldiers guarding the west entrance were nearly pushed off the cliff by the sudden influx of people. They quickly leaned against the side of the cave wall to avoid being pushed down, but those rushing forward couldn’t stop in time and fell off the cliff, screaming.

"Get back! Hurry, get back!" Wang Ping, leaning against the cave wall, yelled desperately, his voice drowned out by the screams.

Feng Chen, also leaning against the wall, searched the crowd for Wu You until he saw him and Yan Bubu safe, then relaxed and turned back to confront the mutated creatures outside the cave.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The cave echoed with the sound of gunfire as the charging mutant was killed.

"Stop pushing! Someone already fell off the cliff to their death." At the western entrance, someone teetered on the edge, half their foot hanging outside the cave, swaying dangerously.

The black lion on the mountain wall continued to climb upwards and, nearing the entrance, suddenly leapt, hitting the person and the crowd behind, causing them to retreat and clearing the area around the entrance.

Under the continuous assault from Feng Chen and his team, the monkeys and snakes on the western cave wall couldn't approach the entrance and their numbers dwindled.

Seeing the situation turn dire, the monkeys suddenly retreated with a whistle, leaving the snakes behind and vanishing into the night.

With the monkeys gone and only the snakes remaining, the situation became much easier to handle. Feng Chen's psychic powers, along with the soldiers' machine-gun fire and the black lion, quickly reduced the number of snakes on the wall.

"How's the situation at the west entrance? Qin Shen, how are things on your end?" Yu Yuan's voice came through the communicator.

The remaining dozen or so snakes, sensing danger, started fleeing along the sides of the mountain wall, but Feng Chen wasn't about to let them escape. Psychic needles dispersed in the air, pursuing the snakes in various directions and angles, picking them off one by one.

Only when the last snake's head burst in mid-air did Feng Chen respond, "All mutants on the mountain wall at the west entrance have been cleared."

"We're short on manpower. Have that squad move to the east entrance. You and Wang Ping go help at the south entrance."

"Okay."

Hearing the orders, the others on the communicator headed to their respective assigned entrances.

"Excuse me, coming through." Feng Chen forcefully made his way through the crowd to reach Wu You and Yan Bubu.

"Uncle Wu, how is he doing?" Feng Chen asked, touching Yan Bubu's forehead, who was still unconscious.

Wu You, jostled by the crowd, reassured Feng Chen, "He's fine. He just took some fever medicine. It hasn't taken effect yet, but he should be better soon."

Yan Bubu's face was abnormally flushed, strands of curly hair dampened by sweat clung to his forehead, his lips dry and cracked, eyes tightly shut as he lay in Wu You's arms.

Anxious but aware of the intense gunfire and artillery at the south gate, Feng Chen knew he couldn't stay long.

"I'll leave Jingjing in your care, Uncle Wu." Feng Chen gripped Yan Bubu's hand.

"Don't worry," Wu You assured, leaning in to whisper to Feng Chen, "Uncle Wu is always alert. I'll find the safest place, never at a disadvantage."

After brushing away the damp hair from Yan Bubu's forehead, Feng Chen turned and made his way through the crowd towards the south entrance.

The mutants at the west entrance had been numerous, but the situation at the south entrance was several times worse.

Unlike the vertical cliffs here, the entrance was only about the height of a three-story building from the ground. Mutants piled up below, the topmost ones just two floors away from the entrance. Farther away, the ground was teeming with mutants, extending into the darkness down the slope.

Despite the constant barrage of bombs and bullets, the effect was not very evident on the mutants, most of whom were covered in scales. Thankfully, with three sentinels and two guides continuously attacking with psychic powers, they barely managed to hold off the onslaught.

However, the sheer number of mutants was overwhelming. Occasionally, an extraordinarily fierce mutant would break through the heavy gunfire, reaching the entrance only to be met by soldiers' submachine guns aimed at their heads, shattering skulls and brain matter scattering on the ground.

Upon reaching the south entrance, Feng Chen quickly joined the sentinel team, merging his psychic powers with theirs to form a vast, continuous net that trapped the mutants underneath, transforming it into blades piercing their skulls.

The pressure at the south entrance was significantly lessened with Feng Chen's arrival, but the situation at the east entrance, where Yu Yuan was stationed, was much more severe.

Despite having four sentinels and another guide alongside him, they were still struggling. Mutants kept leaping onto the entrance, killing several people before they could be shot down at close range by the soldiers.

"Lin Fen, how much longer before you can make it up here?" Yu Yuan asked hoarsely through the communicator.

As an A-grade guide, he divided his psychic powers into three parts: not only sorting out the psychic domains for two sentinels but also controlling the mutants below the entrance.

Lin Fen's response came through the communicator, amidst intense gunfire, indicating he was also in a fierce battle: "There are too many mutants on the ground. It might take another ten minutes or so. We're about two hundred meters from the entrance. Hang in there."

"Okay."

Just as Yu Yuan responded, a soldier anxiously shouted, "We're out of bullets here, no bullets left! Quickly get the ammunition box."

The ammunition box was at the other end of the cave, but the passage was tightly blocked by a panicked crowd. Two soldiers struggled to make their way through, loudly berating, but still found it difficult to squeeze past.

"Let the administrator bring it to us; they can open the fingerprint locks," one of the soldiers yelled.

The ammunition boxes, to prevent any mishaps, were secured to the cave walls with fingerprint locks, accessible only to the Western Alliance and administrators.

A soldier grabbed a megaphone and shouted to the crowd, “We've run out of bullets! All area administrators, bring ammunition boxes to each entrance. All area administrators, bring ammunition boxes to each entrance…”

Hearing the soldier's call for administrators to transport ammunition boxes, Wu You hesitated for a moment, but glancing at Yan Bubu in his arms, he bowed his head and hunched his back, pretending not to hear.

Yan Bubu's eyelashes quivered, and he slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes, reddened from the fever, looked like those of a rabbit.

Unaware that Yan Bubu had woken up, Wu You swayed with the crowd, trying to extend his elbows outwards to shield against the press of people, creating a small space for Yan Bubu.

Sweat streamed down his cheeks, but he didn't bother to wipe it off, instead keeping his head lowered and looking anxiously from side to side.

“Uncle Wu…”

Yan Bubu murmured his name, but his voice was lost in the chaos of the cave, barely audible even to himself.

"Uncle Wu," he called again, struggling to lift his left arm.

Wu You noticed this time, turning to Yan Bubu with a surprised and delighted expression, "Jingjing, are you awake?"

Yan Bubu just looked at him, and after a moment, he parted his dry, cracked lips to whisper something softly.

Wu You didn't catch it and leaned in closer, "Uncle Wu didn't hear clearly, could you say that again?"

"My name isn't Jingjing... it's Bubu."

Yan Bubu's voice was very soft, but Wu You understood this time, repeating with some confusion, "Your name isn't Jingjing, it's Bubu?"

Yan Bubu nodded slightly, half-opening his eyes to look around.

Wu You thought he was delirious from the fever, and while holding him amidst the crowd, soothingly said, "I understand, Uncle Wu knows you're Bubu. Do you find it lively here? Don't be afraid, everyone is just playing games. You sleep a bit more, and when you wake up, we'll be on the big ship."

Yan Bubu was clearly very weak, struggling even to turn his head, but his gaze kept searching around.

Understanding his concern, Wu You whispered, "Your brother is also playing a game. Let's not disturb him, he will come to find you soon."

Yan Bubu withdrew his gaze, looking back at Wu You, and said softly, "Uncle Wu is lying... My brother, he's fighting the mutants."

Someone pushed through the crowd; Wu You protected him with his back, but chuckled, "Bubu is smart, Uncle Wu can't fool you. Your brother is fighting the mutants. But don't worry, he's a special forces soldier, he can handle it."

"Hmm," Yan Bubu hummed, adding, "I know... My brother is the strongest."

"Don't worry yourself either. With your brother and Uncle Wu here to protect you, sleep peacefully, just sleep," Wu You coaxed. "When you wake up, you'll be a special forces soldier too."

Yan Bubu's mind was foggy, too tired to resist. He turned his head into Wu You's embrace and closed his eyes, quickly falling back into a deep sleep.

"Make way, make way, make way."

Administrators from other areas were moving ammo boxes, and the crowd parted, squeezing into each other.

Caught in the flow, Wu You stumbled to the left, stabilizing himself only to find he was near the south cave entrance, standing behind Feng Chen.

The battle at the south entrance was too intense. Carrying Yan Bubu, he wanted to return to the west entrance but was pushed sideways instead.

"Hey, stop squeezing this way, there's no more room," someone nearby shrieked, reaching out to push Wu You away. But upon recognizing his face, they exclaimed, "Manager Wu, what are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be delivering ammo boxes?"

Feng Chen, who was facing away, turned around upon hearing this. He glanced at Wu You and Yan Bubu, then returned to fending off the mutants trying to breach the cave.

Under normal circumstances, Wu You would have retorted sharply, but now he simply lowered his voice to explain, "I'm with a child, I can't help move the ammo boxes."

"A child? Manager Wu, when did you have a child?" The person raised their voice deliberately, drawing the attention of others nearby.

Wu You continued, "It's a child entrusted to my care, sick and unconscious, I can't leave him."

A lady immediately offered, "Give me the child, I'll hold him for you. You go and deliver the ammo boxes to the Western Alliance."

Others echoed, "The ammo boxes need fingerprint unlocking, which we can't do, only you can. It's a critical time, go quickly, we'll take good care of the child."

Familiar faces from Zone C also chimed in, "Manager Wu, rest assured, we'll hold the child carefully for you. Just deliver the ammo boxes and come back, it'll be quick."

Still hesitant, Wu You watched as the lady took Yan Bubu from his arms, "I've raised several kids, I'm surely better at it than you. Go on, don't worry."

"My child has a fever," Wu You protested, reaching to take him back. But the lady, not convinced, retreated into the crowd with Yan Bubu, "Manager Wu, you usually avoid responsibility, but now, with the Western Alliance fighting, you can't hide. Leave the child with me, he'll be completely safe, not a hair harmed."

"Exactly, we can't just watch the Western Alliance fight, we need to contribute as well."

These people usually wouldn't offend Wu You, but in this situation, they didn't care, all urging him to act.

There was no shirking this responsibility, especially given the urgency of transporting ammo boxes. Wu You pointed to Feng Chen's retreating figure, "He's a special forces soldier, the older brother of this child. Just a teenager himself, he's here fighting mutants fiercely. You must take good care of his younger brother; there can't be any mistakes."

"The younger brother of a special forces soldier, eh? Then there'll be no problem. Rest assured, we'll take the child near the west cave entrance, it's safer there."

As Wu You went to move ammo boxes, Feng Chen heard the entire conversation. However, with the mutants' fierce onslaught, he only paused his attack to glance back briefly. In those brief two seconds, two mutants exploiting a lapse in concentration lunged at him.

Fortunately, their claws had barely touched the cave entrance when they were spotted by a sentinel nearby.

The sentinel punched one of them, cracking its hard skull, causing it to howl and tumble down.

The other mutant was quickly shot dead by an alert soldier, but Feng Chen dared not be distracted any longer and turned back to continue fighting the mutants.

Although he was uneasy about entrusting Yan Bubu to anyone other than Wu You, he had no choice under the circumstances. However, since those people had made a promise, he believed they would take good care of Yan Bubu.